Agnes Browne

For other uses, see Agnes Brown (disambiguation).
For the 2014 film, see Mrs. Brown's Boys D'Movie.
Agnes Browne
Directed by Anjelica Huston
Produced by Anjelica Huston
Jim Sheridan
Written by Brendan O'Carroll (book)
John Goldsmith
Starring Anjelica Huston
Marion O'Dwyer
Ray Winstone
Music by Paddy Moloney
Cinematography Anthony B. Richmond
Edited by Eva Gardos
Production
company
Distributed by USA Films
Release dates
 December 3, 1999 (Limited)
March 3, 2000
Running time
 92 minutes
Country United States
Ireland
Language English
French
Box office $148,853[1]

Agnes Browne is a 1999 American/Irish romantic comedy-drama film directed and produced by, and starring Anjelica Huston, based on the book The Mammy by Brendan O'Carroll.[2]

Plot

The unexpected death of her husband sends Agnes Browne (Anjelica Huston) and her seven children, aged between 2 and 14, into emotional turmoil and financial crisis in 1967 Dublin. She is forced to borrow money from a ruthless loan shark to make ends meet. She faces her dismal existence by selling fruits and vegetables at an open air market based in Dublin's Moore Street where she spends time with her best friend Marion, who proves to be a great source of encouragement during her difficulties. Wishing to escape her existence, if only for a short time, she dreams of finding enough money to attend an upcoming Tom Jones concert. Agnes's dream is realised when Marion secretly buys two tickets and gives them to her. She also accepts the offer of a date with a French baker. Her kids pool their money and buy her a new dress to wear on her first date. Of course, eventually the family has to face the loan shark and the French baker has an eye for Agnes as she hangs out with Marion and goes to a bar and later goes on a date with the French baker but the loan shark has begun to lose patience. Agnes and Marion have fun in a car and Marion dies of a heart attack. The next day Agnes brings the children to the hotel but she is attacked by the loan shark at her own house and the children run from manager to the elevator where they meet Tom Jones himself. The children tell Tom Jones about the whole situation, he helps them through a crowd of screaming fans. Suddenly Agnes hears the doorbell ring and thinking it is the loan shark again, grabs her hammer. When she answers it however, she sees that it is Tom Jones instead. Agnes and the children later come outside with Tom Jones, the loan shark gets paid and punched by one of the kids being warned to never come after their mammy again as they ride in the limousine. Tom Jones dedicates 'She's a Lady' to Agnes as the audience jams and the French baker joins Agnes and the children as the credits roll.

Cast

Reception

Agnes Browne was not well received in the United States.[3][4] Franz Lidz, a senior writer at Sports Illustrated, called it a flimsy whimsy and chided Roger Ebert for liking it.[5] William Arnold felt that the ending trivialized the story, leaving the audience "with the uncomfortable feeling that we've just viewed some episode of a TV sitcom of the era."[6] New York Times reviewer Stephen Holden found it "nothing more than a series of homey skits loosely woven into a portrait of a working-class saint."[7]

The film had a better reception in Europe, winning the Youth Jury Award at the 1999 San Sebastián International Film Festival. It also received a Grand Prix nomination at the Ghent International Film Festival the same year.[8]

Author

There were also two more books which followed The Mammy: The Chiselers and The Granny. However, these were not made into films.

Brendan O'Carroll has had his own success with the Browne family in Mrs. Brown's Boys, both in the theatre and on television.

References

  1. ↑ "Agnes Browne". Box Office Mojo.
  2. ↑ Levy, Emanuel (31 May 1999). "Agnes Browne (period drama)". Variety.
  3. ↑ Dequina, Michael (17 December 1999). "Agnes Browne (R)". The Movie Report.
  4. ↑ Zeoli, Joseph (26 February 2000). "Agnes Browne". Film Threat.
  5. ↑ Lidz, Franz (16 April 2000). "Film - A Shot at Thumb-Wrestling With Roger". The New York Times. section 2, page 9, column 2.
  6. ↑ Arnold, William (3 March 2000). "'Agnes Browne' dances to a lighter beat than 'Angela's Ashes'". Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
  7. ↑ Holden, Steven (3 December 1999). "Widowed Mom of 7 vs. a Loan Shark". The New York Times. section E, part I (page 25), column 1.
  8. ↑ Awards for Agnes Browne at the Internet Movie Database

External links